In general, it is known to use a telecommunications network, e.g., such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or the like, to complete an emergency call. In many European countries, for example, an emergency telephone service is accessed by dialing 2-1-1. In the United States, 9-1-1 and enhanced 9-1-1 emergency telephone services and the like are known and widely available. Typically, when an emergency call is placed (e.g., by dialing a designated telephone number such as 9-1-1), the emergency call is directed in the usual manner to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or other like network facility that serves the calling party or is otherwise situated to receive the emergency call.
Commonly, the emergency call placed by the calling party or caller is answered by a call taker or operator manning a workstation at the PSAP facility. Ideally, the calling party reports the nature of the emergency to the operator, e.g., so that the operator can dispatch the appropriate form of aid, such as, the police, fire fighters, ambulance, etc. Of course, as can be appreciated, there are numerous circumstances in which the calling party is unable to effectively communicate with the PSAP operator. For example, the calling party and the operator may speak different languages or the calling party may be physically impaired or disabled so as to be unable to speak or hear. As can be appreciated, when the caller is not able to communicate readily with the call taker it is difficult for the call taker to know what type of emergency response should be dispatched. Moreover, delays in dispatching the correct form of help can be disadvantageous.
To address the foregoing issues, certain solutions have been developed and/or implemented. For example, to better serve the hearing impaired population PSAPs are commonly equipped or otherwise provisioned to accept TTY/TDD calls, i.e., calls in which a telephony teletype (TTY) and/or telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) is employed. Additionally, by employing multi-lingual operators, a PSAP is able to more effectively communicate with a wider range of callers that speak different languages. While the foregoing solutions are generally effective, they have some limitations, and they do not address other circumstances in which a communication barrier may still exist between the calling party and the operator.
For example, while a staff of multi-lingual operators can be advantageous, it is typically too burdensome to have a staff of operators on duty that can speak all the different languages that may be encountered from time to time. That is to say, the operators are normally fluent in only a limited number of languages that are most commonly spoken by the general public in the geographic region that the PSAP serves. Accordingly, PSAP operators may not be able to converse in relatively more obscure languages, for example, which may be spoken by visiting foreigners, outsiders, small local minority populations, etc.
In yet another example, the calling party may be mentally handicapped or disabled or otherwise mentally impaired and therefore unable to effectively communicate or report the nature and/or circumstances of the emergency. For example, the occupants of group homes that may have mental or other impairments and other similarly situated individuals may be able to recognize an emergency situation and call 9-1-1, but they are not able to convey the nature of the emergency. Additionally, the manner in which a mentally impaired caller may speak or communicate may lead the operator to misunderstand the caller or not appreciate the calling party's true demeanor or the actual circumstances surrounding the emergency. For example, a mentally impaired caller may appear childlike or even intoxicated from the manner in which they speak and the operator might erroneously infer that the call is a hoax or prank or otherwise misconstrue the seriousness of the call.
Furthermore, there are cases in which it is advantageous to notify a third party that an emergency call has been originated. The group home situation is again an example where notifying a responsible third party of an emergency or problem can be beneficial. For example, such notification may be useful for marginally capable people living semi-independently but otherwise relying on a trusted third party for assistance.
In cases such as the foregoing, it would be advantageous to have a system or method whereby the assistance of one or more third parties could be automatically enlisted to help overcome the communication barrier. Heretofore, however, emergency telephone services have not been developed which suitably achieve this goal.
Accordingly, a new and improved method and/or system for automatically bridging third parties into emergency calls is disclosed that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.